ONE-SHOTS! They rule! You know why? They're counted as separate stories so when someone looks at your profile and sees like 55 stories there, they'll be like 'wow! I've got to read those stories!'
...ok that is probably not true, but hey the more stories, more impressive your profile is! This story isn't just because of that, it's 'cos I had to write it. Sorry about taking longer than usually to update An Alternate Dimension but I'm on a writer's block...
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans
**3**
"Flight 263 is now boarding." A voice said over the intercom. Richard sighed in disappointment as his flight was leaving too early for his tastes. Never leaving would've been great but that wasn't possible. He turned to his girlfriend and looked into her eyes which were welling up with tears. Bruce who was already leaving for the boarding gate looked back at Richard who was saying his final goodbyes to his girlfriend. Sighing, he walked on knowing that Richard wouldn't dare miss his flight.
"Kori, I have to go. Bruce won't let me stay here and miss his big chance of big business, even if I'm going to miss you and Rachel, Gar and Vic." Richard said sadly, grabbing Kori's hands. Tears were escaping Kori's emerald eyes freely. They trickled down her cheeks leaving dry stains behind, a trace of her sadness.
"Oh Richard, I'll miss you so much. Why do you have to go away for two years? Why do you have to go with Bruce?" Kori asked with a croaky voice. She couldn't express how much hatred she had for Bruce right now.
"Experience." Richard replied with a cold tone, like he hated that word. "I promise you Kori, I won't change and I have a surprise for you when I get back." Kori nodded, but was not entirely convinced. Rachel watched the couple have their moment and could feel extremely sorry for Kori. She kept herself at bay to avoid any accidental intrusion.
"Flight 263 is now boarding." The voice repeated and this was cue for Richard to leave. He let go of Kori's hands which fell limply by her sides. He averted his gaze from hers and began to walk away in the direction of the gates. He stopped suddenly and turned around.
"Goodbye Kori." He said, barely audible, and then continued walking while Kori watched him until he was out of sight. Kori continued crying her eyes out but tried to be as silent as possible which was a difficult task. With a soft voice she said:
"Goodbye forever Richard." Kori said and then put her head in her hands. Full of sympathy, Rachel put her hand gingerly on Kori's shoulder.
"Kori, it's not forever. He'll be back," Rachel promised, overhearing what she had said. "Come on, let's go and catch the bus home." Kori nodded but her movement was so slight that Rachel almost missed it. Rachel beckoned Kori to follow her as they exited the airport.
TT
Kori stared out of the dirty window of the bus as she rested her head against the cold glass. The bus was very quiet and wasn't full of many people. Rachel sat next to her, deciding she should leave her in peace and not disturb her. Rachel knew how tough it must be for Kori and was feeling so much sympathy she felt like her boyfriend (a.k.a Gar) had just left for two years. Kori, to Raven's surprise, started talking.
"I miss him so much," she whispered dejectedly. Sorrowfully, Rachel turned her head to face her.
"I know you do Kori, but you'll be contact all the time. I bet he'll call you five times a day." Rachel reassured. "And letters, e-mails everything."
"Words and speech isn't enough, Rachel." Kori said. "I want to see him, hug him, kiss him or anything else you can't do by normal communication systems."
"You may feel bad now, but don't worry. He'll keep his promise and I bet your surprise will be wonderful." Rachel tried to reassure but she wasn't so sure that Richard would keep his promise. It was difficult to stay as the same person when you face new, tricky things.
Kori fell silent and continued staring out of the window until she spoke again.
"I miss him so much, it's like I can hear his voice." Kori said miserably. Just when she said that, there was a faint, faint shout. Rachel frowned, trying to make out what the voice was saying.
"Oh really?" Rachel said to Kori.
"Yes...there I can hear him again..." this time the voice was louder and you could tell what it was saying.
"Kori!" Rachel's eyes widened. It couldn't...it couldn't be him! Kori didn't seem to realise what the voice was saying. Perhaps it was one of their friends? Wally? Roy? Garth?
"Richard means the world to me. Right now, I can hear him saying my name...wow...I am missing him a lot." Kori laughed darkly to herself.
"Kori!"
"You know what Kori?" Rachel said. Kori turned around to face her friend.
"What?"
"Kori!"
"I think I might be hearing the voice too," Rachel said.
"Oh...perhaps you are imagining it then," Kori said.
"Kori!"
"Um...I don't think so," Rachel said uncertainly. "I can really hear it."
"KORI!"
"It's getting even louder!" Kori said, matter-of-factly. "It seems so real..." By now, the people of the bus who were sitting next to the window were all looking out the window. They probably heard it as well as Rachel.
"KORI!"
"This is very strange!" Kori exclaimed, alert.
"What's he doing!" someone shouted looking out the window.
"He's running for his life!"
"No wait! He stole someone's bicycle!"
"He's cycling to the bus!"
"Faster, dude, faster!"
"He's screaming someone's name!"
"KORI!" yelled the same voice. This time, Kori was full alert.
"Who's shouting my name?" she demanded. "Why is everyone looking out the window?" Rachel, without falling over, peered out of the window and behind the bus. Her eyes widened with shock.
"Kori, I think you should look out the window." Rachel advised, sitting back down.
"He's getting out a grappling hook!"
"The ones from Wayne Enterprises?"
"Yeah! Those!" the people of the bus peered out of the window with interest and excitement. Suddenly, a rapid, fast-moving hook came soaring past the windows and it hooked into the metal of the bus near Kori's window.
"AHHH!" there was a scream which got continuously louder and Kori jumped with fright as someone's figure smashed against the bus window. The figure was wearing some strange sort of gloves which stuck onto the window and it was no longer holding the grappling hook. The people of the bus were gawping at the figure with amusement and shock. When Kori realised who the figure was, she almost fainted.
It was Richard!
Richard, looking utterly daft being stuck on a bus window which the matter of fact was still moving and the bus driver had taken no notice someone was stuck on the side of the bus.
"Richard...Richard!" Kori squeaked. She felt to so happy that she was already seeing her boyfriend again. Had two years already past? It seemed like it. Richard began yelling at Kori but she could only hear his words faintly.
"KORI! I...love...you!" he yelled/whispered at Kori. She didn't seem to here however, Rachel heard this and immediately took action.
"Stop this bus now!" Rachel demanded to the bus driver.
"Why?" he asked indifferently.
"Because someone's stuck on the side of the bus." Rachel said simply.
SCREECH! CRASH!
The bus halted to an immediate stop (and crashed) and because of the sudden pause (and crash), Richard fell off the bus.
"Richard!" Kori shouted in concern and she quickly opened the bus doors (Rachel was surprised by this) and rushed out. She didn't know that she had a stream of people following her to find out why someone was so eager to practically kill himself on the side of a bus. Kori helped Richard up from the hard pavement. Murmurs travelled among the people, some saying he was sucidical while some said he wanted to get on the bus for free...though, when they saw who it really was, they shut up.
"What are you doing here?" Kori asked with disbelief that something this good could happen. Richard smiled at her and took of his gloves.
"Because I couldn't stand to be away from you for two years," Richard replied, taking Kori's hands again but with more happiness this time.
"Oh Richard..." Kori breathed serenely. Then her voice changed to anger."Are you mad! Why did you practically commit suicide by sticking on the side of a bus!" Richard grinned sheepishly at her.
"Hey, I need to risk my life to catch up with you," Richard chuckled. "I'm not that fast a runner."
"Why did you have so many gadgets with you?" Kori asked him.
"It was in my now lost briefcase," Richard explained. "Those are the items Bruce wanted to sell and make millions. As if he doesn't have that much money anyway." The people were whispering among themselves 'That's Richard Grayson!' and 'Wow! That's really him!' and 'He's even cuter in person!' Kori pretended to ignore that last comment.
"Oh...I don't know what to say," Kori said, now crying tears of joy as she hugged him tightly. He returned the hug and smiled.
"How about 'yes'?" he suggested. Kori looked at him, confused. He reached into his pocket, kneeled down on one knee and held a small, velvet case in his hands. Kori was absolutely astounded at what was happening. Was it really the time? Was he really going to ask? The 'crowd' waited in anticipation.
Richard opened the case to reveal the most beautiful ring Kori had ever seen. It was embedded with sapphires and emeralds with etched a heart and in the middle of the heart was small, heart shaped diamond.
"I had it personalised," Richard said first as Kori gasped at the beautiful object. "Kori?" Kori looked at him.
"Would you marry me?" A few 'awwwww's among the crowd and Rachel smiled at the wonderful scene. Who knew someone's mood could change so rapidly when seeing a person. Kori didn't answer and continued just being shocked at everything.
"Uh...I kind of need an answer..." Richard said. "Unless I-"
"YES!" Kori screamed and wrapped her arms around him so tightly, he could've died of suffocation but Kori let go just in time.
"Kori, I love you so much I don't think I'll live without you." Richard said. He then pulled Kori into a loving kiss which meant so much to both of them. When their kiss finally ended they looked into each other's eyes and smiled with pleasure.
"Emeralds and Sapphires?" Kori questioned.
"Emeralds represent your wonderful eyes and I guess Sapphires are kind of like mine. You always tell me they are." Richard laughed slightly.
"I love the ring Richard, I love everything," Kori said. "I love you the most of all."
"I love you too," Richard said again. "So, how should we go home? I don't think the bus is going to work now since it kind of crashed into the lamppost..." Kori turned around to see Richard was right and the bus was damaged and smoke fumes was erupting from the engine. Rachel walked up to them with one of her rare, huge smiles.
"What about Bruce Richard? Isn't he going to kill you?" Rachel asked him. Richard shrugged.
"Well, when he comes back from England, he'll have a nice surprise to find I'm married," Richard said and held onto Kori.
"You mean he went on the flight?" Rachel said. "Are you sure? Don't you want him to be at your wedding?"
"Well I think he did," Richard frowning, trying to remember. "He'll just miss his son's wedding all because he wanted to make some extra money for no reason. It's his loss." Rachel rolled her eyes.
"He's going to come back, Richard. I'm pretty sure he'll be wondering where you went." Rachel said. Richard shrugged.
"We'll not worry about him now but we should worry about saying sorry to the bus driver and taking Kori home..." Richard said.
"Oh...I'm not even going to ask how you realised this was Kori's bus," Rachel said sighing. "But I'm happy for both of you and I'm guessing this was your surprise?" Richard nodded.
"Rachel, it's only you and Gar left now!" Kori giggled. "Isn't he going to propose soon?" Rachel blushed slightly.
"Hopefully, yes," she said, smiling.
"Looks like I'm paying for a new bus," Richard said as he saw the angry driver swearing. Kori giggled as Richard walked over to the bus driver to apologise. Richard mutter to himself: "What men do for love..."
So? Did you like it? It kind of sprung into my head and I was actually planning for putting a BB/rae or Cy/bee story in here but I just had to post this. I may do a 'sequel' with BB/rae and how Gar would propose to Rachel. I already have an idea. Please review and tell me if you liked it or not!